Wrexham FC manager targeting new faces

WREXHAM manager Dean Saunders yesterday met one of the players he hopes to bring into the club next season and will be watching two Blue Square Premier League matches this week to run the rule over other potential targets.

WREXHAM manager Dean Saunders yesterday met one of the players he hopes to bring into the club next season and will be watching two Blue Square Premier League matches this week to run the rule over other potential targets.

The Dragons boss is forging ahead with his team rebuilding plans, even though he has yet to sit down with the club’s directors to hammer out a budget that looks certain to be reduced in the coming 12 months.

Last week’s statement that accompanied draft financial results for the year to June 30, 2009 said a net reduction of £750,000 in annual turnover that fell to £1.9m demanded attention and it went on: “We believe our player and management expenditure of £1.4m was a valid attempt to regain League status, but it cannot be sustained at these levels of income.”

Acknowledging the need for restraint, Saunders said: “We have yet to talk about figures, but there will be less money than this season. I don’t want to commit myself at this stage, but I’m looking to sign five or six what I would call first team players.

“But there are two weeks of this season still to go and I’m still making up my mind about a couple of the players that are currently at the club.”

Declining to identify the player he met yesterday, Saunders said: “I’ve been to meet him because he is out of contract in the summer and I’ll be watching others in the week. I’ll be at the Oxford v Cambridge game tomorrow and I’m going to Barrow v Crawley on Thursday.

“But it’s all ifs and buts at the moment because I’m waiting to see what the budget will be and that will determine how far I am able to go. It’s important that we bring in players who have done well at other clubs and who can do the same job for us.”

Already at the Racecourse and hoping to secure deals next season are former Swansea City stalwart Kristian O’Leary and the hugely experienced Aaron Brown. The pair have yet to taste defeat after five outings that have netted 14 points for the Dragons.

The latest success came in a weekend 2-0 victory at Grays Athletic where the Wales under-21 international netted his first goal of the campaign to build on Ashley Westwood’s first half opener.

And Taylor, already offered a new Racecourse deal, has been impressed by the two newcomers. “It’s great for them that they have come in and we’ve gone on a bit of a run,” he said.

“The gaffer is trying to strengthen the team and it’s important for us and for the supporters that we finish strongly and climb as high as we can in the table.

“It was nice to get my first goal and I only wish I could have got a few more this season, but the main thing was that we won the game with a good, solid performance.”

This weekend’s Blue Square Premier League match with Rushden & Diamonds – the final home game of the season – is free to all fans. Up to four tickets per person must be collected from the Mold Road club shop prior to the match and can also be ordered online.

There will be collection points at the turnstiles for those fans wishing to make a donation to Wrexham’s youth development programme, which will have its funding severely reduced next season.